SPC Charts: Variables

Variable charts track and report the fluctuations of a particular process to help determine if the process is stable (in control).

  • Chart: Individual
  • Chart: Histogram
  • Chart: XBar-S
  • Chart: XBar-R
  • Chart: (Simple) Moving Average
  • Chart: Moving Range
  • Chart: Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA)
  • Chart: Report

Chart: Individual

X-Individual charts:

Track Individual values
Report Individual values over time.

Note: The control limits are calculated by determine the standard deviation of the sample population.

The Individual chart is selected on the SPC Control Properties dialog box>Chart tab.

Chart: Histogram

Histogram charts:

Track Individual values over a selected time period.
Report Distribution and other statistics based on the individual values.

A Histogram chart displays the following.:

  • Sample data.
  • Distribution
  • Central tendency
  • Scatter or variability
  • Data
  • Calculated process capability.
  • Depending on whether the source of the data is an XBar-R or XBar-S chart, the estimate of the process standard deviation differs.
  • When arranged from lowest to highest; if the number of values is even, by convention the average of the middle two values is use.
  • The histogram is selected on the SPC Control Properties dialog box>Chart tab.

Chart: XBar-S

XBar-S charts:

Track Selected characteristic value of each unit in a subgroup.
Report XBar Subgroup means over time. Control limits are calculated using the average standard deviation.
Sigma Subgroup standard deviation over time.

XBar-S subgroup is:

  • Variable in size.
  • Relatively large.
  • Collected at regular intervals.
  • Common with other subgroups in one or more features.

Notes

  • The XBar-S chart is selected on the:
  1. Variable Quality Characteristics Properties dialog box>General tab.
  2. SPC Control Properties dialog box>Chart tab.

Chart: XBar-R

XBar-R charts

Track Selected characteristic value of each unit in a subgroup.
Report XBar Subgroup means over time. Control limits are calculated using the average standard deviation.
Range Ranges within the subgroups.

XBar-R subgroup is:

  • The same size.
  • At regular collection intervals
  • Common with other subgroups in one or more features.

Notes

  • The XBar-R chart is selected on the:
  1. Variable Quality Characteristics Properties dialog box>General tab.
  2. SPC Control Properties dialog box>Chart tab.

Chart: (Simple) Moving Average

Moving Average charts:

Track Selected characteristic value of each unit in a fixed subset.
Report Average for the first fixed subset and then the average of the rolling subset. Note: SPC drops the first value in the existing subset; picks up the next value after the existing subset.

Moving Average observation is a rolling, fixed size subset.

The Moving Average chart is selected on the SPC Control Properties dialog box>Chart tab.

Chart: Moving Range

Moving Range charts:

Track Selected characteristic value of each unit in a fixed subset.
Report Difference between one point and its predecessor.

Moving Range observation is:

  • An individual unit
  • Normally paired with the Individual chart to display the individual measured values.

The Moving Range chart is selected on the SPC Control Properties dialog box>Chart tab.

Chart: Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA)

EWMA charts:

Track Selected characteristic value of each unit in a fixed subset.
Report Weighted subgroup mean, the more recent the sample, the higher the weight. This detects much smaller process shifts than a normal control chart would.

EWMA observation is a rolling, fixed size weighted subset.

The EWMA chart is selected on the SPC Control Properties dialog box>Chart tab.

Chart: Report

Report charts display variable values in table format.

Note: Optional fields that display on the Report chart are selected on the SPC Control Properties dialog box>Report tab.